Tooth & Nail (2007)

Director:

Mark Young

Writer:

Mark Young (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

How far would you go to survive?

Plot:

A group of people in a post-apocalyptic world fight to survive against a band of vicious cannibals.

Plot Keywords:

Cannibal | Hospital | Horn | Impalement | Tooth And Nail

Cast

Nicole DuPort	...	Dakota
Rider Strong	...	Ford
Michael Kelly	...	Viper
Alexandra Barreto	...	Torino
Robert Carradine	...	Darwin
Emily Catherine Young	...	Nova
Kevin E. Scott	...	Max
Zack Robidas	...	Yukon
Beverly Hynds	...	Victoria
Jeffrey D. Erb	...	Skinny Man - Forager
Rachel Miner	...	Neon
Michael Madsen	...	Jackal - Rover
Vinnie Jones	...	Mongrel - Rover
Patrick Durham	...	Shepherd - Rover
Jonathan Sachar	...	Wolf - Rover

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Morningstar Films

Quotes:

[first lines]
Darwin: [voiceover] The end. The end of life as we know it. We didn't see it coming, that's for sure. I mean, who plans for an apocalypse? But you know the really funny thing? It wasn't something big and horrible that did us in. It wasn't nuclear war or a deadly virus or a comet crashing into the planet. It wasn't over-population or global warming. I wish it was. You know, something...

An Interesting Survival Tale With a Message

In the near future (roughly 2012), petroleum production comes to a screeching halt and people turn to killing each other for it, as electricity stops and we are reduced to animal instincts.One group in Philadelphia is holed up in a hospital, which seems to be going fine until there is a breach of security.

If you saw this film at the After Dark Horrorfest, what probably drew you in was the cast. Michael Madsen ("Reservoir Dogs") and Vinnie Jones have smaller roles as cannibals, while the hospital crew includes horror veterans Rider Strong ("Cabin Fever") and Rachel Miner ("Penny Dreadful"). If I wasn't already planning on attending all the films, this would have been my reasoning. And it would pay off, because just like "Penny Dreadful", Rachel Miner continues to be a very strong actress and I hope we see more of her in leading roles.

Alright, horror fans... if you came for sex and blood, you'll get one of the two. The sex scenes are all clean (sorry) but there's plenty of blood. Ax-wielding maniacs, guns, bow and arrows, and a torso slowly roasting over a fire. A broken bone (yuck) and the most disgusting noise I've ever heard involving teeth. There's mild humor (a trumpet player cracked me up) and a really solid plot. Survival horror is a subgenre I've always enjoyed, and I think they really hit the nail on the head with this one. You have a small group of people who really have no chance at all of surviving.

What I enjoyed, beyond the excellent acting, moderate gore, and a very well-thought plot (there's actually layers, thank goodness) was the political and, philosophical and social commentary put in subtly and sometimes not so subtly. There's the obvious call for alternative energy sources (we could run out of oil at any time), but they took it to the next step by explaining where it would lead. There's the social aspects of what happens to people when civilization breaks down, and what the importance of a leader is (we have Professor Darwin at one point, Neon at another, no leader at another point and we see how the leadership or lack thereof differs).

The philosophy aspects have a Nietzsche-inspired undertone. Are we better to be sheep or wolves? Which one is more the moral principle? Safety in numbers or strength through independence? This is explored time and again throughout the film. And what I liked about the exploration is the way it was never really decided one way or the other, a least not obviously. here are strong groups and some strong individuals. One could write a paper on this, and I would if I wasn't so bogged down with other projects.

I expect this to be one of the better films in the 2007 Horrorfest. If any are better (and one or two may be), they're going down in history as some great ones, because this was already a winner. Don't be fooled by the Madsen and James cameos (they're small) if you think that's the reason to watch this. They could easily have made this film without them and lost nothing in the process. This is just solid script-writing, pure and simple. Check it out when you get a chance.